Key-ring



(No Model.)

G. W. MILLER.

KEY RING.

No. 310,301. Patented Jan. 6, 1885.

7177/! 22 aass,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE V. MILLER, OF MERIEEN, CONNECTICUT.

KEY-RING.

EPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 310,301, dated January 6, 1885.

Application filed April 9, 1883.

Figure l is a side view of my invention,v

showing the ring open or unelasped. Fig. II is a side view showing the ring closed or clasped. Fig. III is a transverse section of the same at line A. Fig. IV is a side view showing the ring closed or clasped, and with the sliding tube or clasp shown in longitudinal section. Fig. V is a side view of a ring bent into another form from those shown in the preceding illustrations; and Fig. VI. is a side view of still another form of ring.

In the drawings, 2 represents a wire which,

though not necessarily bent into a circular form, I denominate the ring, and which may be bent into any desired form, whether partially circular, as shown in Fig. V, or rectangular, or four-sided, as shown in Fig. VI, or of triangular form, as shown in Figs. I, II, III, and IV; but of whatever form the ring may be in its general outline, I prefer to have one side or portion straight, as shown at 5, for greater convenience in the construction of the sliding tube or clasp. In this construction the two ends of the wire 2 are brought together, preferabi y at some point near one end of the straight side 5, as at 3, or at some point between the middle and the end of said straight side, as

.be moved along the straight part of the ring,

when its two ends have been pressed together, until the end of the tube abuts against the side of the ring, the latter serving as a stop for the tube, and the jointwill then be known (No model.)

to be closed without looking at it, whereas if the joint or opening was made midway the length of the straight side, a person in closing the joint would have to use more care in moving the tube to a certain point or in proper position to cover the joint and hold it closed. I make a small tube, 4, of suitable inside diameter to fit the wire snugly, but so as to slide freely on the wire, and insert and pass the end of the longer part of the straight side 5 of the wire into and through this tube, as shown clearly in Fig. I. This ring is made of elastic or spring wire, and is so bent to form the ring that when the two ends at 3 are not socured together, and the tube or clasp 4 is moved back on the long part of the straight side 5, the two ends of the wire at the opening or joint 3 will remain apart from each other, and the two parts of the straight side 5 will be held out of line with each other by the elasticity of the wire, as shown clearlyin Fig. I; but it the two opposite sides of the ring are pressed together so as to close the ends, the the latter will abut against each other, and the twoparts of the straight side 5 will be in the same line, and the tube or clasp 4 being moved along the wire to cover the joint or opening at 8, the two ends of the ring will be held firmly together, and cannot be sepa rated to make an opening until the tube or clasp has been moved baclcto expose or uncover the joint. After the tube or clasp 4has been moved into position to cover the joint or opening, as shown in Figs. II, IV, V, and VI, it cannot be moved back again along the wire to uncover the joint 3 without pressing the opposite sides of the ring together, because the elasticity of the wire when the clasp or tube is in place to cover the joint causes the wire to have a forcible lateral or side pressure at its ends against the inside of the tube or clasp, and this pressure effectually prevents any longitudinal movement of the tube or clasp until this lateral or side pressure of the wire on the inside of the clasp is first removed, which is done by pressing the sides of the ring toward each other, and thereby forcing the ends of the wire together at 3, which causes the two parts of the straight side 5 to line with each other.

It is evident that the ring may be of any form desired, and that it might be of circular 'l'orni throughout, and the tube or clasp 4- might be made on a curve longitudinally, to correspond with the circular form of the ring; but owing to the great diiticnlty of manufacturing the tube or clasp of such curved form, I very much prefer to make one side, 5, of the ring and also the tube or clasp 4, straight.

This forms a very cheap and simple device for holding keys and other articles, and is a most effective one, inasmuch as it is almost impossible to accidentally displace the clasp l or tube 4 when the ring is closed at the joint.

Having thus described my invention, what i I-claim as new is GEORGE \V. MILLER.

\Vii nesses:

JOHN F. GLANCY, (l Hiram-1s \V. MANN. 

